Judge: J. Paul Oetken

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In Garcia v. The Comprehensive Center, LLC et al, 17-CV-8970, 2018 WL 3918180 (S.D.N.Y. Aug.16, 2018), the court, inter alia, granted plaintiff’s motion for default judgment on her race and gender discrimination (constructive discharge) claims. Plaintiff’s allegations are, to say the least, shocking: For the last two years of her employment, Garcia suffered increasingly abusive treatment…

Read More Default Judgment Granted as to Race, Gender Discrimination (Constructive Discharge) Claims
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In Picault v. World Business Lenders, 16-cv-3682, 2018 WL 748975 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 7, 2018) (J. Oetken), the Southern District of New York dismissed plaintiff’s (a Haitian-American man) national origin discrimination lawsuit. The court explained that a discrimination plaintiff “must satisfy his initial burden by showing (1) that he belonged to a protected class; (2) that…

Read More Citing “Stray Remarks” Doctrine, Court Dismisses National Origin Discrimination Case Based on “Haitian Voodoo” Comment
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In Lation v. Fetner Properties, Inc., 2017 WL 6550691 (S.D.N.Y., 2017), the court addressed claims by a Manhattan building concierge (plaintiff Lation) arising from harassment by a resident of, and an owner of one unit in, the condominium where plaintiff worked (defendant Thomas Chiu). The court compelled arbitration against Defendants 1212 Fifth Avenue Condominium and Fetner…

Read More Concierge Sufficiently Alleges Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, But Not Employment Discrimination, Claims Against Building Resident
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In Johnson v. J. Walter Thompson U.S.A., LLC, No. 16-CV-1805 (JPO), 2016 WL 7217847 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 13, 2016), the court denied defendants’ FRCP 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss plaintiff’s sex-based hostile work environment and retaliation claims. Here I’ll discuss the court’s evaluation of plaintiff’s hostile work environment claim. Plaintiff alleged, among other things, that defendant Gustavo…

Read More Sex-Based Hostile Work Environment Claim Continues Against J. Walter Thompson; Plaintiff Alleged (e.g.) Rape Comments, Unwanted Touching, and “Bossy” Remarks
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In Bell v. McRoberts Protective Agency, Inc., No. 15-CV-0963 (JPO), 2016 WL 7192083 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 12, 2016), the court dismissed plaintiff’s federal, state, and city claims of religious, race, and sex discrimination under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (This decision, which follows a prior dismissal of plaintiff’s claims, focuses on plaintiff’s amended complaint.) Initially,…

Read More Religious, Race, Sex Discrimination Claims Dismissed on Non-Exhaustion and Substantive Grounds
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In Bell v. McRoberts Protective Agency, No. 15-CV-0963 (JPO), 2016 WL 1688786 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 25, 2016), the court held that plaintiff failed to sufficiently allege race/gender discrimination, retaliation, and hostile work environment claims. The court’s explanation of why the plaintiff’s claims were insufficiently pled is instructive as to what courts look for when evaluating these…

Read More Race/Sex Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment and Retaliation Claims Insufficiently Alleged
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In a recent lawsuit captioned Schultz v. Congregation Shearith Israel of the City of New York et al (SDNY, 15-cv-07473, filed 9/22/15), plaintiff alleges that her employer, described in the complaint as “the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States”, fired plaintiff “immediately after learning that when her Orthodox marriage ceremony was performed, she was also…

Read More Lawsuit Alleges Unlawful Termination by Jewish Congregation for Having Pre-Marital Sex
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In Massie v. Metro. Museum of Art, No. 11-CV-9549 JPO, 2015 WL 3833839 (S.D.N.Y. June 22, 2015), the Southern District of New York reiterated that, when asserting a hostile work environment claim, [a] plaintiff need not show that the incidents rendered the work environment “unendurable” or “intolerable,” but she must, to survive a motion for summary…

Read More Court Dismisses Hostile Work Environment Claim Based on “Severe” (but “Isolated”) Remarks
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The Southern District of New York recently denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint alleging sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation against Urban Outfitters. In Swiderski v. Urban Outfitters, 14-cv-6307, 2015 WL 3513088 (SDNY June 4, 2015), the court held that the plaintiff pleaded an actionable hostile work environment claim based on the conduct…

Read More Sexual Harassment/Hostile Work Environment Lawsuit (Based in Part on Customer Conduct) Against Urban Outfitters Continues
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